Molding apparatus



1. B. WALKER.

MOLDING APPARATU-S. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1917.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

'1. B. WALKER.

MOLDING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, 1917.

Patented- Apr. 16,1918.

2 $HEETS-SHFET 2.

. fully equal to the best KINTTE gATEg JOHN B. WALKER, or BIRMINGHAM, ALA AMA.

MOLDING ArrAnATUs.

Application filed October 10, 1917; Serial No. 195,850.

To all whom it may concern; 1

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. WVALKER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, re, siding at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Molding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of making sand molds and cores for use in casting ingot molds, large pipe and. like heavy tubular bodies, and consists in the novel mechanisms hereinafter more fully eX- plained, which have for their object the simultaneous formation of both core and mold or check on a jarring table, and the adaptation of parts to be mechanically handled throughout.

My invention is especially (but not exclusively) adapted to form. in one operationby the use of a jarring table or jolt machine, both the sand core and the check or mold thus enabling me to greatly simplify and cheapen the cost of mold production and at the same time to produce a standard of uniformity in the packing of both cheek and core that cannot reliably be obtained otherwise. 7 r i y A further object of my invention is to design the several parts of the apparatus employed in carrying my process into effect so that a crane or hoist mechanism can'be employed in the handling of parts during the several stripping and assembling oper'a tions incident to the sand packing or ramming, the casting, erations.

I have found that by thus reducing to a minimum the number of operations and eliminating as far as possible any manual handling of parts of the apparatus, I am enabled tobring the cost of production down to a minimum, and to conduct the whole operation for the production of these heavy castings with a facility and speed practice now obtaining for small castings. v

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the pattern may be held against displacement when the cheek is stripped vertically therefrom and inthe.

simplification of the mechanism for expanding the arbor thus described in my Letters Patent No. 1,151,229. This application and the shaking out op forms a continuation in part of the application filed by me on March 12th, 1917, and ie- I sulting in the issue tomeof Letters Patent No. 1,242,747, dated October 9th, 1917.

As illustrative of the apparatus'now' regarded as thepreferred embodiment of my lnvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken v with one-half of the flask removed and one of the patternlugs withdrawmthe section being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. l.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the flask broken away to show the split edge of the pattern, all parts being in position for receiving the sand. '7

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the means for limiting the expanding movement of the pattern.

- 4 is a p plan view of Fig. 1 withboth pattern lugs i place .1 I

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the top of the arbor showing the top wedge plate with its fastening pin and wedge key.

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the apparatus for holdingdown the pattern and the mannerof applying the crane hooks to lift the pattern after the hold-down means are removed. I

Fig. 7 is a detail view in vertical section through the top ofthe collapsible core arbor showing the mechanism controlling all four arbor staves. i

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

A jolt machine or jarring table 1 is forcured by a wedge key 4:. The arbor is formed by four collapsible staves 5, two only of which carry at their upper ends internal socket bearmgs 5 in which the pawls 5 are mounted free to rock and disposed upwardly 7 so as to engage wide sideffaces of the column 3 of the arbor at a point above the top of the staves. The staves have lapping cor.- ner joints as described in my Letters Patent No; 1,221,115, and only the two opposite staves carrymg the-inner flanges are provided' with the sockets 5 and the pawls 5 The stave are expanded by the action of a plate 6 and wedge key 6 on the column which plate i movable downwardly by the the manufacture o action of the wedg to engage the pawls and press them downwardly so as to force the pawl carrying staves outwardly until arrested by the engagement of lugs- 6 on the staves with top lugs 3 on the column. The

engagement between the underlying flanges.

to rock in the sockets 2 on thestooldr'ag.

The staves are operated to expand or con' tract the arbor, all as more fully described in my said Letters Patent No. 1,221,116. The stool is recessed in its upper race at 7 to term the drag portion of the mold. A stripping plate 8 is mounted on the stool drag and clamped in position to receive and center the lower end of the pattern which 1s shown in tubular form as generally used for f ingot molds, though its shape can be modified for the manufacture 6f other'articlcs. The pattern is substantially' rectangular in cross section and is split diagonally through its corners in a vertical plane preferably into two half sect ons 9 and 10, each section c'arrying about ts top edge a protecting plate 11 with upturnedperforated lugs or ears 12 at its ends. These lugs or ears are arranged to overhang so that thecenters of their holes when in register will lie in the plane of parting between the pattern sections. Between each pair of lugs i211 interpose a hanger plate 13' having a hole therein adapted to register with the holes in the lugs so that the bolts 14, which pivotally connect the lugs, win also hold the hanger plates in position. between them.

' The upper free ends of these plates are proadded with holes 15 to receive hooks 16 or the crane Oi hOiStiiig tackled V I The pattern section 9 in each upper side edge is provided with a countersunk seat to receive a plate 17 carrying a dowel pin 18, and in its lower portion is a countersunk seat whih receives a plate 19 having a stop lug 2 0 with downturned hook 21 at its outer end. The side edges of the pattern section 10 have countersunk seats, the upper oilwhich receiveplates 22 having" dowel pin holes; 23 therein disposed to receive the dowel pins 18. The lower seats receive plates 24 having holes 25 into which the stop lugs 20 project -with a close sliding ide fit but with the bottom of the hole in position to clear the undertace of the lug but to engagethe dow'v'nturned hook 21 at the outer end of the lag." By this arra gement the lugs and the, ins hold the flask section's against lateral displaeeinent while permitting theni "to swing apart freely on their pivot bolts 14 until the hooks engage the plates 24, thus limiting the opening or expandin movement of the pattern.- It is of importance to note that I provide the lower counters-unk seats for the plates '24 with an 0pencline outwardly through the face of the pattern, so that the sand can escape from the lug holes 25, it being essential that these holes shall not become packed with the sand as therebythe automatically closing action of the pattern sections might be interfered with. c

g The flask as described in my Letters Patent No. 1,221,117, is divided vertically into half sections 27 and 28, each having at its upper edge overhanging perforated lugs 29 which lap and each pair of which is hingedly' connected by a pivot bolt 30 Each flask sec tion carries a p'luralityorliftinglugs for on gagement with the hoist tackle, the lugs 31 near the side edges being termed closing? lugs and the lugs 32 beii'i'g' termed opening lugs.

ing 26 leading downwardly and at an in The upper end of the column 3 is provided i with a head 33 having a hole 34 for the crane or lifting tackle and having verhanglugs 35 under which I engage hold-down bars 36 for the'pattern, these bars having their under ends notched to form depending lips 37 which engage the inner wallet the pattern and prevent the pattern moving upwardly when the'cheek is stripped from the stool drag and pattern. -The bottom edges of the pattern arecut away to receive reinforcing; metal plates 46. Clamps 45 are employed to hold the flask, stripping plate and stool together, and clamps 49 to secure the stripping plate to the flask.

Assuming the stool with the stripping plate, flask and core arbor assembled thereon by their respective fastenings 49, 45 and 4 in position 'on the jarring table, the pattern is seated on the steel with itsfbottoi'n end left free ota'ny rigidrastening. Sand is, first shoveled between the pattern and the flask to a height of about a foot, the jarrin'g'table is thenoperated to give the apparatus three or tour jolts which compacts this sand about the pattern so that it will form an encircling sand band which will force together and hold in that positionthe lower or free ends of the pattern sections. Having thus preliminarily secured the pattern in position, sand is filled in on both the inside and eutside of the pattern and the joltino' operation proceeds until the sand is pac' red'practically to the toplevel of the impossible to mechanically accomplish the proper packing of the sand under the lugs. In accordance with my present invention, the operator uses a shovel, the blade of which is shaped so that when thrust clownwardly into the packed sand" around the top of the pattern, it will remove sufiicient of the sand to form a seat which will receive the detached lug patterns 38 which are then set in position against the pattern sections 9 and '10. To insure the lug patterns being set in the right position, they are provided with tongues 39 that fit into vertical slots 40 in the pattern and top reinforcing plate 15. After seating the lug patterns, additional sand is thrown over them and rammed. When this has been accomplished, clamps 15 are knocked off and the crane is first applied, in the manner described in my Letters Patent No. 1,221,117, to lift the flask' and strip the cheek from the pattern and stool drag and deliver it to foundry pits for finishing. stripped off with the'cheekand can readily be drawn as part of'the' finishingop'eration.

The crane hooksare'then applied to the hanger plates 13 of the pattern and, the encircling sand band which forms part of the cheek having been removed, the bottom end of the pattern is released to expand to the full extent permitted by the stop lugs 20. As the pattern is lifted to strip it from the core, it will ride freely up the core and the latter will be thus protected from collapse or injury. As soon as the pattern clears the core it can be set over another core arbor and 3 the operation'repeated, it being noted that the pattern sections will swing together; into closed position by gravity as-soonasthey are free of the core.

By utilizing the method suggested of forming the sand band forcontracting the pattern I save one operation required to contract and secure the pattern sections togeth er and another operation to release them so that the pattern can expand. It will be understood however that the sand band'is only the preferred means, as my invention contemplates the use of any deviceor means which will holdthe pattern contracted during the ramming operation and which will strip with the cheek. In order to facilitate the stripping of the cheek, the pattern is preferably formed with a slight taper upwardly and this taper is effective within the pattern also to facilitate its strlpplng from the core. Before closing the mold the clamps 49 are knocked loose and the stripping plate 8 removed, this being done after the cheek has been dried.

My object is to so design the apparatus that the casting can be stripped without losing the sand coating formed by the sand of both cheek and core, thus permitting the casting to anneal in the sand in which 1t tically so that it will not tend to jar loose The lug patterns will be in'notches 43 formed therein, such an arrangement permitting the clamp to seat verin the jolt-ramming process. A loose bolt 44: is passed freely through the lower ends of the flanges to limit their parting movement about their hinge bolts 80.

The'stripping operation for the casting is as follows :The crane loops are applied to the closing lugs 31 of the flask, the wedge plate 6 is relaxed to permit the core arbor sections to contract, as shown indotted lines Fig. 7, and the'flask, cheek, castingand the sand coating about the arbor are all stripped vertically from' the arbor,'wl1ich stripping operation is facilitated by the collapsing of the arbor staves as they rock toward each other in their socket bearings 2 In practice, I have no difliculty in strippingthe sand core from the arbor without losing the sand except a small amount dislodged at the corner jointsof the core by the collapsing action of the staves. The hoisting tackle'is then transferred-to the openinglugs 32, the clamps 41 are detached and the flask expands so that it will strip freely'when lifted upwardly soas to leave the sand cheek adhering to the casting. The casting is 105 stripped-at thepoint where it is desired to leave it during the annealing process and its sand coating is left on the casting :until it is thoroughly cooled, when thesand will strip freely and easily from the casting, 110 leaving a smooth annealed casting forming an ingot mold of unusual quality and du- Ifabllity.

In order, to secure the wedge plate 6 providea U-shaped-pin 47, which is adapted to be passed through the wedge opening at the-top of the column and to have its down. turned ends inserted through suitable openings provided thereforin the wedge plate 6. The wedge key 6'? is adapted to be driven in the opening 48 and to bear on the top of this pin 27, as will be seen more clearly in Fig. 7 and should the wedge key 6 beremoved for any reason, which is not necessary, this pin would still serve to prevent the wedge plate being lifted off of the arbor or becoming displaced.

This invention is not intended to be restricted in scope to the specific embodiment shown, but contemplates such modifications as. come within the spirit and scope of the claims. 7 I

Having. thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' stripped therefrom vertically with the flask and cheek.

2. In a molding apparatus adapted to be rammed on a jolt machine, a flask, a core arbor, a pattern interposed between the ar bor and flask, a drag, and releasable means adapted to engage and hold down the pattern on said drag while the cheek is stripped vertically therefrom.

8. In combination, a' stool drag, a cor arbor having a center column made fast to the said drag, a pattern seated on the drag, a flask, and hold-down'means interposed between the pattern and column to hold down the pattern while the check is stripped vertically therefrom.

4:.In combination,a stool drag, a core arbor having a center column made fast to the said drag,- a pattern seated on the drag, a flask, and detachable hold-down means interposed between the pattern and column to hold the pattern while the cheek is stripped vertically therefrom.

5. In combination, a stool drag,- a core arbor column- .Hlitde fast thereto, core arbor staves having a' rocking bearing on said drag,- stave expanding -II1QClILIIISII1 on thecolumn, shoulders on the column above the staves, and pattern engaging holdedown arms adapted to engage under said shoulders, as and for the purposes described.-

6. In combination, a flask formed by ver tical sections hingedly connected at their upper ends, a pattern formed by vertical sectionshingedly connected at their upper ends, a collapsible core arbor, and a drag to which said flask, pattern and arbor are connected.

7 In combination, a drag adapted to be mounted on a jarring table, a collapsible core arbor, means to hold the core arbor stool drag,

when expanded, in rigid relationship with the drag, a pattern surrounding the core arbor, and releasable means to hold the pattern against vertical movement relative to said core arbor. I j

8. In a moldii' g apparatus, a pattern for ingot molds and like articles divided into vertical sections movable relatively to expand or contract the pattern, a core arbor within the pattern, a flask about the pattern,- and means to holdthe pattern contracted during the ramming operation, said means being movable to release the pattern so that it is free to expand While being stripped from the sand core formed therein.

9. In an apparatus for producing jolt rammed sand molds for hollow castings, a stool drag, an arbor column made fast. to the drag,- an arbor formed by staves collapsible toward the arbor, means to hold the expanded arbor rigid on the drag,- an expansibl'e pattern adapted to be stripped vertically from the sand core, and an expansible flask adapted, when expanded, to strip freely vertically from the sand cheek.

10.- In apparatus for producing jolt rammed sand molds for hollow castings, a an arbor column made fast to the drag, an arbor formed by staves collapsible toward the arbor, means to hold the expanded arbor rigid on the drag, an expansible pattern adapted to be stripped yertically from the sand core, an expansible flask adapted, when expanded, to strip freely vertically from the sandcheek, a stripping plate detachably secured to the flask base and adapted to support the sand cheek therein, and means; tohold-down the pattern when the sand cheek is stripped vertically therefrom. I

11.1111- an apparatus for producing jolt rammed sand molds for hollowcastings, a stool drag, an expansible flask formed by vertical sections, releasable means to hold the section's closed, a stripping plate for the sand cheek only, and means to clamp said stripping plate to the bottom of the several flask sections. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN B. WALKER.

Witness: I

NoMIn WELSH;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the dommissioner of Patents, Washington, D.- G. 

